In That Moment
by lunasgathering39
Summary: A simple argument has dire consequences. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is my first InuYasha story, started a couple of years ago. It fell by the wayside when my obsession for Supernatural took over. While going through files I recovered from my old computer, I found this story._

Inuyasha wanted the day to be perfect. Kagome had gone home for a few days to take more of her tests and was due back tomorrow. They'd survived some serious battles lately and everyone needed a rest. Their dealings with the Band of Seven being most vivid in his mind. He'd almost lost Kagome, as well as Sango and Miroku, when they were poisoned by Mukotsu. He'd almost died at the hands of Jakotsu. They were all overdue for a little peace and quiet. Kagome planned a picnic for her first day back. She'd confided in Inuyasha that she had a surprise to announce during the picnic. Waiting one more night for her return was driving him crazy. He listened for the signs that everyone else was asleep and slipped silently out of Kaede's hut to stay the rest of the night at the well.

Once at the well, he realized he was too nervous to sleep. So he sat next to it, staying alert for the first sign she was back. When she left, she seemed the same as usual. But, as with every other time she left, the fear she would stay in her own era this time gripped him and wouldn't let go until he smelled her scent again, saw her smile. She'd promised to stay with him. But she'd almost died because of his carelessness. He couldn't blame her if she didn't want to put herself in danger anymore. In fact, his own feelings on this were a constant struggle. He wanted her safe, but he wanted her with him as well.

He managed to doze for a couple of hours before the warmth on his face, the sun in his eyes, and a breeze tickling his ears woke him. A quick sniff told him all he needed to know. Kagome hadn't come yet. And the rain they'd had the last several days had finally moved on. Only a slight chill to the early breeze meant the weather would be perfect for the picnic. Nothing would ruin Kagome's return. Now it was just a matter of waiting. He leaned over the edge and sighed, staring into the well, willing her to show up. Patience was never one of his strengths. Finally after an hour of pacing, wondering what was keeping her, he heard the gentle thump of her landing in the well and smelled her familiar scent. He reached down to take her hand and the bag she always carried around as she climbed out. He noticed the bag was a little lighter than usual, but thought nothing of it. The look on her face told him she wasn't expecting him to be there. He tried to pretend it was no big deal.

"You're up kind of early Inuyasha. Whatcha doing out here?"

"Couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake the others."

He wasn't sure she believed him, but she didn't question it either. They walked back to Kaede's in a comfortable silence. He knew as soon as their friends were awake, the quiet ended. And he was determined not to start any arguments. He had a bad habit of saying the wrong thing, sometimes without ever knowing what he said wrong. The best way to avoid that was to say nothing. The hut was barely in sight when he heard Shippo call out and rush to them.

"Kagome! I'm so glad you're back. We missed you," he said as he hurled himself into Kagome's waiting arms. "Did you bring me some of the ninja snacks like last time?"

"Hey, runt, give it a rest!" He grabbed Shippo by the tail and pulled him from Kagome's arms. "Let her get her stuff settled before you start bugging her for snacks."

"At least I didn't spend the whole night sitting by well waiting for her to get here!"

_That runt's gonna get it one of these days._ He growled as he tossed the fox kit back to Kagome. He heard a small giggle from Kagome and turned quickly so she wouldn't see him blushing slightly. The last thing he'd wanted was for her to know he was at the well all night. _Stupid kid!_

They entered the hut, saving him further embarrassment. The others were just waking and didn't know he'd left in the night. He gave Shippo a look that told him, "Say another word and you're dead!" The kit stuck his tongue out at him, but Inuyasha knew he got the message loud and clear. The next couple of hours were a blur as they ate a small breakfast and started readying things for the picnic that afternoon.

He still couldn't believe it. Kagome's surprise was the last thing he'd expected and more than he ever thought to ask. They slowly enjoyed all the wonderful food she prepared. She told more stories about things in her time. They played a few silly games. Then she made her announcement. The tests she'd gone home to take were finals. Kagome would be staying in the feudal era the whole summer!

Now Inuyasha and Kagome were taking a quiet walk through the forest bearing his name. He hated to ruin the perfect afternoon, but knew his question would do just that.

"Hey, Kagome. Can I ask you a question?" It was something that had bothered Inuyasha for a while now. "Why exactly do I have to keep wearing these stupid beads?" He'd asked her this same question several times since she put the necklace back on him after their battle with Takemaru and Sounga.

The Beads of Subjugation. Not just a simple strand of beads, but something much more powerful. They had the power to subdue him with one word from her. The beads had originally been used to keep the newly-awakened half demon from trying to attack Kagome to steal the Sacred Jewel. But now he'd rather die than see her harmed. Though the question had come up several times, she always managed to evade answering it. _Not this time. This time I'm getting the truth._

"Well? You gonna answer or what?"

Kagome countered with, "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Because you never give me an answer!" He could tell she was hiding something and was beginning to get frustrated. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. I know you'd never hurt me."

"So what is it then?" _She won't even look at me. Why can't she just answer the question?_

The seconds stretched on in silence. This just confirmed in Inuyasha's mind what he believed to be the real reason. _This is about control. What else could it be?_

"Don't worry about answering. I figured it out on my own. You don't want your dog without his collar. Without the beads, you aren't the one in control," he spat out angrily, ears flattening.

"No, that's not true!" she denied vehemently, tears welling up.

"Isn't it? No one else needs to keep me on a leash." He could feel anger building in her and wondered how she had the nerve to be so mad. He was about to ask her when he realized she wasn't just mad at him. Bracing himself for the "sit" he knew was coming, he felt a moment of something much stronger than anger. Hatred. _She hates me?_

"Inuyasha! Sit boy! And just stay there a while." She left in a huff not even looking back.

As he felt the familiar tug of the necklace pulling him to the ground, he realized something was very different this time. As she spoke the words, the priestess powers she'd been learning to use flared. He could feel the wave of purifying energy headed straight for him with no way to avoid it. Just as sure as Kikyo's arrow over fifty years ago, he could feel the beads sealing his soul away. Had Kagome waited just a moment more, she would have heard the sound of a breaking heart in his whispered plea, "Kagome?"

On her quiet walk back to the village alone, Kagome realized she'd done it again. His remark about keeping him on a leash had hit a nerve. Her slowly growing guilt had suddenly turned to anger. How dare he bring HER up? Though he didn't mention her specifically, Kagome just knew he was talking about Kikyo. His precious Kikyo. No, she would never "sit" him. Not his perfect Kikyo. She couldn't stop herself. She knew she shouldn't "sit" him when she was so angry, but she did it anyway. And at the moment she spoke the words, she'd let her hatred of Kikyo consume her. _Maybe Inuyasha was right. Maybe I really am trying to control him._

"I'll just let him cool off a while. Then I'll apologize," she said aloud, mostly just to make herself feel better. Too bad it didn't work_. I should probably butter him up with some ramen before apologizing._

Entering Kaede's hut, she noticed the rest of the day hadn't gone well here either. Sango looked extremely angry. And Miroku sported a fresh hand print on his face, though he didn't seem too upset by it. _At least one of us is still enjoying the break_. Seeing Shippo happily drawing brought a smile back to her face.

"Hey, Kagome. Look at what I drew for you. Isn't it hilarious?"

What she saw in the drawing broke her heart. But she didn't let it show. The picture was of Inuyasha in the middle being "sat". Shippo's attention to detail had improved quite a bit. He captured a mix of anger and hurt that brought a new rush of guilt. _He never told me it hurt him that much and I was too stubborn to notice._

"Thank you very much Shippo. It's lovely."

Kagome busied herself with making dinner for everyone, trying not to think about her fight with Inuyasha. The things he said, the hurt in his voice wouldn't go away. She replayed in her mind some of the times she'd "sat" him. What she remembered didn't make her feel any better. Some of them were accidents, but most she used to end an argument that she wasn't in the mood to deal with. The realization that hurt the most wasn't why she'd done it, but how many times. At least once a day lately and sometimes more. _I really need to talk to him. I owe him more than an apology. I owe him an explanation._

"Miroku, will you do me a favor and go get Inuyasha for dinner?"

"I'd be delighted to, Kagome. Do you know where he should be?"

"Thanks. I left him at the Sacred Tree. Be careful though. He may still be angry after our argument. Oh, and take Shippo with you." She needed to talk with Sango alone.

"Come, Shippo. Let's go and fetch Inuyasha."

Shippo snickered at the remark. "Lucky for you Inuyasha didn't hear that. You know he hates dog jokes. Hey, Kirara, wanna come with us?" The two tailed demon cat trilled in response and followed them out of the hut.

"We should take our time finding Inuyasha," Miroku mused aloud.

"Yeah, that'll give the girls plenty of time to talk. Besides, Inuyasha's always in a bad mood after Kagome "sits" him. And he usually takes it out on me!"

"I agree. We may as well enjoy the beautiful day while we can. Maybe we should visit with some of the village wom- I mean villagers first."

_Idiot._ "You know Sango will find out. Isn't one slap a day enough?" _He can be as dense as Inuyasha sometimes._ "And they pull on my tail. Let's just go get--" He smelled something that stopped him in his tracks. Then whipsered, "Inuyasha?"

"Shippo? What's wrong?"

"Something doesn't smell right. We need to hurry!" Shippo hopped on Miroku's shoulder while Kirara transformed to her larger form. "Kirara, fly us there as fast as you can!" _I just hope I'm wrong._

Something was not right. He couldn't move, speak, or even open his eyes. He panicked for a moment, hoping Kagome wasn't hurt. Then he remembered what happened. She was the reason he couldn't move. _But this time is different somehow._ He was aware of the passage of time. When Kikyo sealed him to the Sacred Tree, he was gone. Kagome's powers aren't as strong as Kikyo's, so the spell was incomplete. _Damn, why does this always happen?_ Trust. Hate. Then loneliness. A cycle he was all too familiar with_. At least no one else died this time._

_My mother trusted the villagers. They hated me for being a half-demon and tried to kill us, but I survived. Barely. I let my guard down and trusted Kikyo. Naraku tricked us and we both died. She still hates me. I thought things would be different with Kagome. Does she really hate me? Will the others bother to come looking for me when I don't return? Will I be stuck like this forever?_ He knew if Naraku or any of his incarnations found him now, the others wouldn't stand a chance. He had to figure a way out of this, but deep down he knew the only one who could help wouldn't. She hated him.

In that moment, with that realization, he did something he'd never done before. For the first time in his life, Inuyasha gave up.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: It was originally suggested I make some changes to the very end of this. It was good advice and I've saved it for future reference. But with this particular series and how the characters interact with each other, I think simple and understated keeps them better in character. Plus I am no good at writing romance._

* * *

It was all Shippo could do to keep from crying. Miroku could see it in his eyes as Kirara raced them to Inuyasha. After all the time they'd been together, the half demon was now like a father to him. Not that Shippo would admit that to Inuyasha or himself. To lose another father was more than the little fox demon could handle. The sight of Inuyasha's prone form at the base of the Sacred Tree broke the dam holding back the kit's tears.

Miroku wasn't quite ready to jump to conclusions. The clearing showed no signs of a struggle. He couldn't sense any demonic auras in the area. In fact, everything was peaceful, the only noise a gentle breeze in the trees. Kirara landed so he could check on Inuyasha. His mind refused to reconcile what he found. He wasn't breathing and had no pulse. _It's not possible. No demon could take him down without a fight. Not even Sesshomaru or Naraku._

Closer inspection of the area gave the monk a better idea of exactly what had happened. And made him realize that not all was lost. Inuyasha hadn't drawn Tetsusaiga, meaning there was no outside threat. His body was in a hole typical of one of Kagome's "sit" commands. Most importantly, Miroku could faintly sense his demonic aura. It was coming from the necklace, those beads Inuyasha detested. But it was weak and fading fast.

"Please don't cry anymore, Shippo. We can still save Inuyasha. But you need to bring Kagome and Kaede here as quickly as possible. I will stay and watch over him."

"Really?" between sobs, "It's not too late?"

"Yes, but you must hurry!"

"OK! Come on Kirara," hope returning to the kit's voice.

_I just hope they're not too late. Please hang on, my friend. Kagome will never forgive herself if you don't make it. _

_

* * *

_

"Oh, Sango! I feel completely horrible. I won't blame him if he never forgives me."

"I'm sure you're just overreacting. He's never held it against you before."

"I know, but it seems different this time. I think I really hurt his feelings. I just got so mad and next thing I knew…"

"You just have to explain things to him. Maybe it's time you told him the real reason you don't want him to be without that necklace. And, don't take this the wrong way, but you might want to work on your temper, too. We both need to learn to work through an argument instead of ending it the easy way. With violence."

Kagome chuckled at that. "We can be pretty dangerous, can't we? Thanks, Sango. And you're right. It is time I tell him the truth. He deserves that much. I just hope it doesn't make things harder between us. It looks like we've almost finished dinner. Where are the boys? They should be back by n--" Kagome stopped, thinking she'd heard something outside. The cry came again.

"Kagome! Kaede!"

"Isn't that Shippo?" Kagome, hearing the worry in his voice, realized something was very wrong. They ran out of the hut, dinner completely forgotten.

"Kagome, you have to hurry! Where's Kaede? We need her too." He hopped down from Kirara's back and ran to Kagome. It was obvious he'd been crying.

"What's wrong? Where are Inuyasha and Miroku?" questioned Kagome.

"Inuyasha is, h-h-he's, he's…Miroku is with him. Miroku told me to bring you and Kaede before it's too late."

"Too late? Too late for what?" Kagome was afraid of his answer, but still needed to know.

Shippo starting crying again as he told her. "When we found Inuyasha, he was lying on the ground. Not moving and n-n-not, and not breathing. Miroku says we can still save him if we hurry."

Her heart stopped and her body went numb. _Not breathing? _"Sango, would you find Kaede?"

"Of course. Kirara and I will find her and meet you there."

"Shippo, please take me to Inuyasha."

* * *

Miroku wasn't sure how he was going to break it to Kagome. She would never hurt Inuyasha intentionally. Her heart was too good. Knowing she caused his death would leave permanent damage. Not that the monk was faring much better. Pulling Inuyasha's frail, lifeless body out of that hole would be burned in his memory forever. In all the time they'd been traveling together, Inuyasha always seemed so strong. Even when unconscious from injuries, he exuded strength. _To see him so fragile..._

"Don't you dare give up Inuyasha! We need you. More than you ever needed us. Hang on. Help is on the way" _I don't even know if he can hear me. Please, Kagome. Don't take too long._

While saying a prayer for the half demon, he heard sounds approaching from the direction of the village. Shippo, transformed into his pink ball form, was carrying Kagome faster than they could run. The beautiful sunset behind them was marred by the approach of storm clouds, the smell of rain on the wind. _Even the sky mourns for him._

_

* * *

_

Kagome was terrified to face what awaited her. It was her worst nightmare come true. She asked Shippo what had happened, but he couldn't tell her, only that there was no blood. The Sacred Tree, visible above the rest of the forest, quickly grew in the distance. They were headed right where she'd left him after their argument. _If I'd stayed, he might not have been attacked._

The angle in which they approached the clearing allowed her to postpone facing her fears a few moments more. The only thing she could see was the occasional flash of red behind Miroku's purple and black robes flowing in the breeze that had picked up in the few minutes it took her to get there. As they landed near him, she tried to focus more on the ground, then Miroku's expression to keep from looking behind him. Though the look on his face told her the fears were not unfounded. When their eyes met, she could see the unshed tears. The battle to hold back her own tears was lost as she stepped around Miroku and got her first glimpse of Inuyasha. He looked simply as if he was sleeping. No wounds, no blood, not even a scratch told what transpired after she so selfishly left him. She knelt down beside him, took his hand, and steeled herself to ask the questions she dreaded knowing the answers to.

"What happened to him?" He seemed hesitant to answer. Almost like he was afraid. "What kind of demon could attack without leaving a mark?"

"No demon did this to him."

"So was it a villager or other person? Maybe poison? I don't know how any human could get so close without him smelling them coming."

"No, it wasn't a villager." He hesitated again, obviously trying to avoid telling her the truth. "When we found him, he was still in that hole," he said pointing to his left as he did so, "and had been there for some time."

Her mind started putting the pieces together, that body shaped hole being the most obvious. He wasn't attacked. He's not breathing and has no heartbeat. Yet, as she realized when she took his hand, he hasn't gone cold. The only time she'd ever seen that happen was when she first met Inuyasha, sealed to the tree. And the hole, the kind left behind when she "sat" him. Her entire body went numb.

"I-I-I did this? H-h-ow? I don't understand!" she choked between sobs. Thunder crashed and the rain started falling, tears to match her own.

"You've been working on improving your powers lately, right?" She nodded in response. "You two argued. You told him to 'sit' before you left, correct?" Another nod. "What exactly were you thinking about the moment you said 'sit' to him?"

"I was angry. Very angry. He was asking about the beads again. He said no one else needed to keep him on a leash. I assumed he meant something that he really didn't. I was thinking how I ha-" an involuntary gasp cut the sentence short. _I was thinking how much I hated when he mentions Kikyo. No that's not right. I was thinking how much I hated Kikyo at the moment I yelled at him. I could feel my anger flare like never before._

"I believe the anger caused your powers to spike. When you spoke the command, it sealed his soul into the beads."

"So we just need to get his soul out of the beads and back into his body?" the first glimmer of hope clear in her voice. "I took the arrow out to release the seal last time. Maybe I just need to remove the necklace to free him this time." She reached up to pull the necklace off, but only touched it when a voice stopped her.

"No! Ye mustn't remove the necklace. Not until the soul is removed first. To do so before would remove his soul permanently," warned Kaede. She had quietly arrived with Sango and Kirara while Miroku was explaining his theory to Kagome. "We must do it quickly though. His spirit is weakening." Kaede knelt down opposite Kagome, put her hands over the beads, and asked Kagome to do the same. "Now ye must visualize your soul reaching out for his. While ye do that, we shall focus all of our power on putting it back into his body. Do not let your focus waver. And do not let any doubt enter your soul. He will feel it and pull away."

_Please let this work. I can't lose you now!_ "OK. I'm ready." Kagome cleared all negative thoughts from her mind and began focusing.

* * *

He began sensing auras. They were weak, but familiar. _So they did look for me._ _At least I know I'll have a proper burial. And I'll be missed by someone._ He sensed Miroku coming closer, but the other two were leaving. He assumed they were going for help, help that he knew would come too late. He was comforted by the fact that he wasn't completely alone now. He wished he could talk to the monk and say his goodbyes. For a second Miroku's aura came closer. Inuyasha could feel his sadness. And thought he could hear him saying something. He just couldn't make out the words. Being helpless to answer just made the dog demon sink deeper into the depression that threatened to claim his soul once and for all.

_Kagome? Shippo brought Kagome? I thought she hated me. Why would she come?_ Her aura also moved in close. He could sense her feelings too. He could feel the anguish. It was almost too much for him to take. _She doesn't hate me! Then why? Why seal my soul into the beads?_ He was so confused. He felt more people arrive. All of his friends had come. He could rest in peace knowing they all cared enough to come.

Suddenly the darkness around him started to brighten. It wasn't that he couldn't see. He had just been in complete darkness. A light approached and reached out to him. As his vision adjusted to the brightness, he realized the light had shape. It was a person, reaching out their hand. He hesitated, fearing he would be taken away for good. He didn't want to be stuck in limbo forever, but he never really wanted to leave his friends either. A voice spoke and he knew it was safe to reach out as well. Kagome had come for him. She was going to help. And he could feel her love for him. Not hate, but love. He grasped her hand and pulled her close. She said she was sorry for what she'd accidentally done to him. She asked him not to give up. _I promise, Kagome. I promise I will fight._ He held on for dear life. Warmth surrounded him and he felt a shift. He could hear sobs and feel the wind and rain on his face. He opened his eyes and there she was, worry and guilt written all over her face.

"Inuyasha? Are you ok now?" She asked as he slowly sat up.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Thanks to you." He had no idea such simple words would cause the silly girl to break down completely. He was just happy he could see, hear, and feel again. Judging by the tears in everyone else's eyes and the smiles on their faces, they felt the same way he did.

"No! If it weren't for me you wouldn't have been hurt. I'm so sorry Inuyasha!" She buried her face in his kimono, sobbing uncontrollably. He put an arm around her shoulders, hoping to comfort her.

He looked gratefully to Miroku when he said, "Come everyone. We should see to dinner." Obviously the monk knew they needed time to themselves.

The rain slowed to a sprinkle. Now he patiently waited for her crying to slow as well. He had plenty of questions, but not until she was ready.

"Inuyasha, how could you forgive me so quickly after what I did to you?" she asked, pulling back to look him in the eyes. "Aren't you angry with me, don't you hate me?"

"You told me yourself it was an accident. Why would I hate you for that? I was worried though. When you said the command I felt hate from you. I thought you hated me and I didn't know why." He noticed a blush on her cheeks before she bowed her head to avoid looking at him.

"I have some things to tell you, but please let me say them all before you ask any questions. I haven't told you why I leave the beads on because I was afraid. Then you accused me of needing to keep a leash on you when no one else does. I assumed you were talking about Kikyo not needing to control you. Yeah I know it was dumb. But I get a bit irrational where she's concerned. I could never hate you. I just hate the hold she has on you. I was angry about her and let that affect my control on my powers."

She seemed relieved after admitting her feelings during their argument. He _was_ relieved to hear she truly didn't hate him.

"Now to finally answer your question about the beads. You deserve the truth. I really don't want to control you. I'm not good at talking through arguments. It is easier to run away from them. I can only do that if you can't chase after me right away. The reason I haven't removed the necklace is…"

She hesitated, seemed afraid he wouldn't want to hear what she had to say.

"…the reason is I don't want to lose you. I was afraid if you didn't have the necklace, you wouldn't be able to travel to my time, you'd have no tie to me. You could go to Kikyo. After all, you only need someone who can see the jewel shards. It doesn't have to be me. I know you said I could stay with you. But what happens after Naraku is defeated and the jewel is complete? You'll be a full demon. You won't want me around anymore."

"Is that what you really think?" He stood as he said it, pulling her up as well. "I ask you to stay with me because I need you. Not your priestess powers or your ability to find jewel shards. You." _Time to tell her how I really feel. After what happened today, I know this could possibly be my only chance._ "I do want to protect Kikyo. But it is you I choose to be with. Kagome, I love you and don't want to lose you either."

"You do? Oh, Inuyasha. I love you too!" she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his kimono again, this time crying tears of joy.

"I know. I could feel it when you pulled my soul free of the beads. When you saved me. Promise you won't ever leave?"

"I promise. And we should probably remove the necklace. I don't ever want this to happen again."

"But what if you're right and they are the reason I can pass through the well to your time? We'll just work on controlling your powers and not using the "sit" command so much. And I can try not to make you angry so much. It'll be hard, but I know we can do it."

Kagome laughed at the last remark. "Maybe we should head back now. They might be a bit worried. And you must be hungry."

"I could go for some ramen!" He took her hand as they walked back to the village, each quietly enjoying the other's company. This time he vowed to himself not to spoil these quiet moments anymore.


End file.
